A Wonderful Feminist Plot But I Felt Disconnected From It All // REVIEW: The Cast by Danielle Steel

Title: The Cast
Author: Danielle Steel
Publication Date: May 29th 2018
Publisher: Macmillan
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: PanMacmillan India
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Barnes and Noble || Wordery || Infibeam || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Kait Whittier has built her magazine column into a hugely respected read followed by fans across the country. She loves her work and adores her grown children, treasuring the time they spend together. But after two marriages, she prefers to avoid the complications and uncertainties of a new love. Then, after a chance meeting with television producer Zack Winter, everything changes. Inspired by the true story of her own grandmother, Kait creates the storyline for a TV series. Within weeks, Kait is plunged into a colourful, star-studded world of actors and industry pros who will bring her vision to life, from the reclusive grand dame to LA's hottest bad boy actor. As secrets are shared and revelations come to light, the cast grows closer. But in the midst of this charmed year, Kait is forced to confront the greatest challenge a mother could ever know and this unforgettable cast becomes more important to her than she ever could have imagined.

WARNING: This Review contains spoilers for The Cast

Actual Rating: 2.75 Stars

The Cast is probably the first Danielle Steel novel I’ve read (I have vague recollections of another book that may either be from Sidney Sheldon or Danielle Steel and I can’t remember NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRY.) (Life Before Goodreads. Sigh.)

I have two other Danielle Steels’ currently sitting on my TBR, but I picked The Cast up first because of its ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS COVER. Like how STUNNING is that?

The Cast is essentially the story of a middle aged woman, who through hard work and a little bit of luck, gets a bible picked up by a big time executive producer and suddenly her life changes. It’s also about her family, and her three children.

MY THOUGHTS:

1.       If I were to describe this book in one word, or an emotion that I feel looking back at it, it would be ‘Disconnect.’ Told in third person, I not once felt connected to the variety of characters in the book, or even felt anything like happiness or grief when Kait Whittier, the main character, went through events that cause her either.

2.       I mean, KAIT’S DAUGHTER WAS BOMBED AND KILLED WHILE MAKING A DOCUMENTARY AND HER GRIEF WAS SO… PAPER THIN. All I read was “Grief threatened to overtake Kait” but I never once felt it.

3.       Also, everyone in this book was just so MECHANICAL. There were always logical, mature choices being made for EVERYTHING, but does life really… work like that? Especially in Hollywood, when it comes to family and DEATH of a child?

4.       If I put aside the fact that this book was entirely mechanical, I did like a few things including

-          THE PLOT OF The Wilder Women, which is the TV Show Kait wrote. It had such a wonderful story, and I honestly would love to see Women in Aviation during WW II on a real TV screen.

-          Kait and Zach had this ultra-adorable romance, which I loved and I also loved how her kids teased her about it.

-          I loved Maeve, Agnes and Kait and the supportive, constructive relationship they had with each other.

VERDICT: Connecting with SOMETHING in a book is probably the most important thing for me while reading, and so I don’t really recommend this unless you’re already a Danielle Steel fan, and I probably won’t be picking up another book from her for a while now. 2.75 stars. 

Since 1981, Ms. Steel has been a permanent fixture on the New York Times hardcover and paperback bestseller lists. In 1989, she was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having at least one of her books on the Times bestseller list for 381 consecutive weeks. But Guinness was premature. The fact is that one or more of Ms. Steel's novels have been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 390 consecutive weeks. 

Twenty-one of Ms. Steel's novels have been adapted for television, each earning high ratings and critical acclaim, including two Golden Globe nominations for JEWELS, a four-hour mini-series that starred Anthony Andrews. 

Have you read any Danielle Steel books, or The Cast?
What did you think of it?
I'd LOVE to hear from you <3

 

Novella Review: Rafina by Shandana Minhas

Title: Rafina
Author: Shandana Minhas
Publication Date: May 23rd 2018
Publisher: Pan Macmillan India
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: PanMacmillan India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Infibeam || Flipkart

Blurb Description: Rafina looks at the glamorous girl on the billboard outside her window in Karachi and thinks, It won’t be long before I'm up there. Too poor for college and dismissive of marriage, the clear-eyed young woman cajoles her mother's friend and Radiance beauty parlour masseuse, Rosie Khala, into taking her on as an apprentice. Thus begin her brave misadventures – from clumsy parlour assistant, to mostly dependable tea girl, till in a stroke of serendipity, she is ‘discovered’. Poised to have everything she thought she wanted, the only thing standing between Rafina and that billboard are the people who think she should still be using the service entrance.

ACTUAL RATING: 2.75 Stars

THOUGHTS BEFORE READING THE BOOK:

1.       This cover is pretty. AND, I mean VERY PRETTY.

2.       YAY for books set in the Desi/ Pakistani world. There can never be enough of them out there.

3.       I really hope this is a feminist journey.

THOUGHTS AFTER READING THIS BOOK:

1.       I’m just… not sure what I felt while reading it? It was sort of this mechanical read where I kept telling myself, ‘Oh, there’s only sixty three pages left. Let’s get to the end and formulate your thoughts.’ And then I reached the end, and I had felt and thought nothing of this book.

2.       Rafina is basically the story of this young, ambitious Pakistani girl who wants to make it big as she stares at a billboard next to her window, and I WOULD HAVE LIKED IT, except the actual making it big part, which we know happens from the blurb description, was all of three pages in the end and the REST WAS ALL ABOUT MAKING WAX, JUDGING WOMEN AND MAKING TEA. And, I was basically just confused.

3.       Also, there’s this last paragraph in the book that was just SO STRANGE AND DEGRADING, I honestly didn’t know what to make of it.

And that’s… all the thoughts I have on this book. It was strange, and basically felt like a lot of filler and judging poor women based on their body type, size and appearance, and I didn’t really like it much.

This could have been so much more, but it just wasn’t. 

Shandana Minhas, born on 26th October 1975 in Karachi, is an award-winning Pakistani writer. Her first novel, ‘Tunnel Vision’, a first person meditation on life as a woman in a man’s world (“In a coma, reduced to the sum of my biological function, I was the perfect woman. Pretty. Pliant. Docile. Accepting…”) was published in 2007 and shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. It was later translated into Italian as ‘Pakistan Graffiti’. Her second novel, ‘Survival Tips for Lunatics’, was published in 2014. A “bitingly funny” adventure in which a bickering couple accidentally leaves their two sons behind on a camping trip in Pakistan’s turbulent Balochistan province, it became the first children’s book to win a general fiction prize in the region, taking the Karachi Literature Festival fiction prize in 2015. Her third novel ‘Daddy’s Boy’ – an “amorality tale” - was published in 2016 by 4th Estate. Mohammed Hanif called it “heartbreaking and hilarious”. 

Ms Minhas has also written for stage, screen and opinion pages. Her short fiction has appeared in literary magazines, and been adapted for cinema. She is a college dropout, and a mother of three. She still lives in Karachi where she co-founded, in 2016, the indie press Mongrel Books. 

What was the last novella you read? What did you think of it?

What do you think of short stories/ novellas in general?

I'm not the biggest fan, but I'd love to hear your thoughts!

 

One In A Million // REVIEW: Windfall by Jennifer E Smith

Title: Windfall
Author: Jennifer E Smith
Publication Date: May 4th 2017
Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Pan Macmillan India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon US || Amazon UK || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Wordery || Flipkart || Snapdeal || Infibeam || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday—just when it seems they might be on the brink of something—she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes. 
At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy’s father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy’s newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall. 
As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined . . . and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect.

This book’s summary in a nutshell:

     a)      Best Friend Romance (AKA – MY ACHILLES HEEL OF ALL CONTEMPORARY  PLOTS)

    b)      WINNING OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN THE LOTTERY.

c)       Lives  have been changed forever

The minute I read Windfall’s summary, I knew I WANTED IT. Which is why, after having binge read this book in 1.5 days, I’m sitting on my bed, typing out this review, slightly in love I’m unable to open another one because IT WAS JUST THAT GOOD.

My Thoughts:

1.        Like I said, I love the idea behind this book. Who doesn’t win the lottery with the hope that they will WIN ALL THAT MONEY and live the life they’ve always dreamed of? Almost NOBODY. Add a best friend romance in the mix and I’m SOLD.

2.       One of the first things that struck me about this book after I actually began reading was how grounded a character Alice was. I always like these kinds of fictional girls better and I instantly connected with her. Also, TELL ME ABOUT UNREQUIETED FEELINGS!

3.       Another things I LOVED SO SO MUCH about this book was the presence of strong, sturdy parents. Alice’s aunt and uncle and such amazing people that only want the best for their son and orphan niece who they’ve taken in as their own. They were the PERFECT PARENTS AND I LOVED THAT YA is finally getting some.

4.       I should mention that they Harry Potter reference almost had me in tears. SERIOUSLY. It warmed my heart and YOU NEED TO READ THIS.

5.       I also loved my boys, Leo and Sawyer. I love big brothers in any kind of setting and Leo was only slightly awesome. I wish we got to see more of Max, of that Leo and Max will have a book of their own because SWOON. Sawyer was also a fun, stand-up kind of guy and I loved his humour.

6.       Surprisingly, the one thing I thought I’d LOVE was the one thing I didn’t like about the book – and that was Teddy and Alice together. For starters, Teddy wasn’t my favourite person. I didn’t have a specific problem with him BUT with all the other great characters, he probably ranked last for me in this book (which is even more surprising because he’s exactly like my best friend IRL.) More than anything, I didn’t feel a spark between the two of them or anything but a forced romance.

Harry Potter references guaranteed to make your eyes shed a few tear drops, the lottery, family and brilliant characters – Windfall is one amazing book you should get your hands on!

 Jennifer E. Smith is the author of eight books for young adults, including WINDFALL and THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. She earned her master's degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and her writing has been translated into 33 languages.

You can visit her on her website or follow her on Twitter

 If you won a MILLION dollars in the lottery, what would be the first thing you did? 

Have you read Windfall or any of Jennifer Smith's Books? Which one is your favourite? 

I can't wait to hear from you lovely humans.

Oodles of Drama // REVIEW: Royce Rolls by Margaret Stohl

Title: Royce Rolls

Author: Margaret Stohl
Publication Date: April 6th 2017
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Bloomsbury India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon US || Amazon UK || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Wordery || Snapdeal || Infibeam || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Sixteen-year-old Bentley Royce is the wild child of a super-glam reality TV dynasty. She has it all – designer clothes, a fancy school and an actual Bentley to drive around in. Her ambitious mum Mercedes has dragged the family from trailer park to Hollywood stardom. But Bentley wants out – she wants to go to college, escape her own storyline, be NORMAL – but Royces don't do normal (or college).
Rolling with the Royces is running out of ways to keep viewers hooked and suddenly the show is threatened with cancellation. Bentley faces an impossible choice. Without the show, she could live the college dream – but her family would crumble (they are already twenty million dollars in debt). Bentley Royce has a mission. She must use her brains to save the show; if she saves the show, she can save her family – and she'll do whatever it takes

Actual Rating 3.5 Stars

As I sit here, typing out this review a few days after I finished reading Royce Rolls, I’m realizing that I STILL don’t know what I feel.

It took me a three days to get through the first half of this book, mostly because it took me a while to get used to everything about this book – the car names that the characters had, how disconnected they were and how much I struggled to connect with any one of them but the book did get better and I read the last half in a matter of two hours!

LET ME EXPLAIN:

1.       When I say the word Royce’s, think Kardashians. Royce Rolls opens with their reality show on Hiatus, and the renewal of their sixth season seriously in doubt. The family is in a state of panic, except for the middle child, Bentley Royce who just wants a normal life and to go to college.

2.       The book started off well enough, giving you a standard shocking ending in the first chapter and then going back in time and showing you how the characters reached there but getting used to the characters was a bit of a task for me. Honestly, these aren’t my type of people – I’m definitely more grounded but that doesn’t mean I don’t like reading about the rich and the famous (Case in Point: Gossip Girl)

3.       I liked Bentley. I sympathised with Bentley. She was probably my favourite character with her ultra-scheming mind and her dreams to just be normal. I LIKED THIS GIRL WITH THE RAINBOW HAIR (Because HOW COOL IS RAINBOW HAIR?) but *SPOILER* How could she not recognize that the TWO BOYS SHE WAS PINING OVER WERE THE SAME? (I’m sort of shocked, honestly, and highlights that on some level, she was a very superficial character)

4.       Porshe (Bentley’s older Sister), Mercedes (Bentley’s mother) and Bach (Bentley’s Brother) were pretty much who I expected them to be and hence I actually enjoyed reading their hysterics and manipulations. Their dramatic lives were so Reality TV worthy!

5.       I ABSOLUTELY ADORED THE ENDING. I didn’t expect to end on such a high note, to be honest but it was cute and more importantly, IT TOOK ME BY SURPRISE. I love Diego Sanchez and Asa and Venice and Bentley. It was this amazing ending which I didn’t expect from a book I wasn’t LOVING left me smiling as I closed the book.

If you’re into hysterical manipulations, famous families and boatloads of drama Royce Rolls is probably the book for you.

Definitely worth at least one read to experience the madness that is “Reality TV” 

Margaret co-wrote the first of the internationally bestselling Beautiful Creatures novels (published in nearly fifty countries, named Amazon’s top teen book of 2009, short-listed for the ALA’s 2009 Morris award, and released as a feature film from Warner Brothers) on a dare from her three daughters, she fell even more in love with teen culture. Her first sci-fi series, Icons, is now in development as a feature film with Alcon Entertainment. Her Black Widow series from Disney Publishing (Black Widow: Forever Red and Black Widow: Red Vengeance) is a welcome chance to rock a strong female character and to return to her beloved Marvel roots. She is also writing the Mighty Captain Marvel comics.   

If asked, Margaret will tell you that the Women of Marvel panel at New York Comicon was the greatest single hour of her life, and that she fangirls all girls who read comics. As a co-founder of YALLFEST, the biggest YA book festival in the country, and its offspring YALLWEST, Margaret believes her readers are her kindred spirits and her tribe. 

Margaret lives in Santa Monica with her husband, who builds drones and robots, and her three daughters, who are competitive epee fencers—and who, like Natasha Romanov, have always known how to rescue themselves. 

Are you an avid watcher of Reality TV? What are some of your favourite shows? 

What are some of your favourite books turned into TV Shows? 

Have your read Rocye Rolls? What did you think of it?